Incinerator



C. A. MORGAN Aug. 7, 1962 INCINERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1,1959 INVENTOR. 62/1006 ,7. NoRcfl/w 1962 c. A. MORGAN 3,048,130

INCINERATOR Filed June 1, 1959 2 SheetsI-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. (imam: A.170/F6WM is tates 3,048,130 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 ice tion

Filed June 1, 1959, Ser. No. 817,242 3 Claims. (Cl. 110-8) Thisinvention relates generally to smoke consuming combustion apparatus andin particular to an incinerator for combustible refuse in which smokeodor bearing vapors and fly ash are consumed prior to their admission totheincinerator flue.

In the operation of domestic incinerators of the type referred toherein, the products of combustion of an incinerator charge, composed ofsmoke, odor bearing vapors are completely consumed as they pass throughthe secondary and final chambers.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an incineratorof the type referred to in which the final combustion chamber isprovided with a refractory wall upon which the smoke, odor-bearingvapors and unburned particles entering the final chamber are caused toimpinge,

the means for introducing flame into the final combustion and unburnedparticles, are carried to the flue by convection air currents throughthe incinerator. It is highly. desirable to design the incinerator sothat the smoke, vapors and unburned particles issuing from the chargeand admitted to the incinerator flue to be maintained at a minimum.

In the apparatus of the present invention, this is accomplished byproviding an open-ended member which acts as a flame carrier tunnelthrough the charge, the heating of the surfaces of the member serving toignite the charge. Two spaced, approximately parallel plates extendingupwardly within the body of the incinerator provide a secondarycombustion chamber, the open end of the flame tunnel member beingdisposed at the base of the secondary chamber. An aperture in one of theparallel plates permits entry of the products of combustion into a finalcombustion chamber which extends vertically upward through theincinerator and communicates with the flue. The rear face of this finalcombustion chamber, facing the open end of the flame tunnel, is formedof refractory material which is heated to incandescence by the flame.Since the ignition of the refuse charge is delayed until the tunnelmember is brought to charge igniting temperature, the refractory wall ofthe final combustion chamber is at relatively high temperature by thetime the charge is ignited. Air is introduced into the incineratorthrough its base and flows upwardly through segregated passages. betweenthe generally parallel plates, the segregated passages terminate shortof the top of the front plate so that the incoming air moves directlyinto the secondary chamber between the plates and mixes with the smoke,odorbearing vapors and unburned particles issuing from the refuse chargeand moving into the secondary chamber. The air added to the products ofcombustion facilitates complete combustion as the products move throughthe secondary chamber and the final chamber to the flue.

impingement of the smoke and unburned particles on the glowing rear wallof the final combustion chamber further aids in smoke and odorconsumption. As a result, a minimum of smoke and odor-bearing vapors areintroduced into the incinerator flue, the major portion being consumedupon its entry into and subsequent passage through the final combustionchamber.

It is the primary object of the present invention, therefore, to providean incinerator wherein smoke, odorbearing vapors and other solidproducts of combustion are consumed before their entry into theincinerator flue.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an incineratorhaving a primary, charge-receiving chamber, a secondary chamber and afinal combustion chamber with air introduced at the up-stream end of thesecondary chamber and means for introducing flame at the junction of thesecondary and final chambers, whereby the smoke and unburned particlesfrom the refuse charge chamber being such that the refractory wall isalready at an elevated temperature when the refuse charge reachesigniting temperature. 7

A further object of the present invention is to provide an incineratorin which no apertures or openings at the top or upper portion of theincinerator body are required for the introduction of either primary orsecondary combustion-supporting air.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of bodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the incinerator shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, exploded view of the base structure of theincinerator.

FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded view of a component of theincinerator.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the top casting for the incinerator.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further component of the incinerator.

Referring initially to FIGS. l3, the incinerator is shown as includingan outer sealing jacket 1%, circular in cross sectional configurationand enclosing the incinerator side wall 11 which is formed of arefractory material. The upper end of the incinerator is closed by meansof a top casting 12, its downturned margin 13 serving to retain thejacket 16 inplace. Casting 12 is provided with an oval aperture 14 towhich may be connected a smoke pipe or flue indicated at 16- in FIG. l.A charge receiving opening in the casing receives a removable closure17.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, the base structure of theincinerator includes a circular base plate 1-8 supported upon legs 19(FIG/1). The base plate is apertured at 21 to receive stove rods 22. Theupper ends 22a of the rods are received within apertures formed in anincinerator em.-

lug 23 (FIG. 5) carried by the top casting 12. A

plate 26 is supported in spaced parallel relation to the plate 18 bymeans of a curved member 24 rigidly attached to and depending from theplate 26. Mounted within an opening within the plate 26 is a slidinggrate 27 which may be manipulated by means of a member 28 accessible atthe front of the incinerator, as shown in FIG. 2.

The plates 18 and 26 have registering apertures therein 123a and 26a,respectively, the tubes 29' enclosing the apertures and extendingbetween the plates. Brackets 3'1, secured to the under face of the plate18 overlie the apertures 18a. The apertures and tubes 29 provide a meansfor introducing air into the incinerator as will subsequently beexplained.

Extending vertically upwardly from the plate 26 is a horizontally ribbedsteel plate 33 shown in detail in FIG. 4. The plate 3-3 extends acrossthe side wall of the incinerator, but terminates short of the uppermargin of the charge-receiving combustion or burning chamber indicatedat 32 in FIG. 2. The plate 33 is supported on vertical brackets 34 whichare secured to the rear face of the plate 33 and at their surfaces 34aare secured to a second plate 36. The plate 36 is also formed of steeland horizontally ribbed, extending from side to side of the chamber 32and upwardly to the top casting 12. A wire aosaiao mesh grill 37 issupported in inclined position between the upper margins of the plates33 and 35, the grill being shown in FIG. 2, but omitted from FIG. 1.

It will be noted that the apertures 26a in the plate 26 are disposedoutboard of the bracket 3-4. Incoming air passing through the tubes 29thus flows upwardly along the outer sides of the brackets 34 and betweenthe plates 33 and 36. These two segregated air passages terminate shortof the upper margin of the front plate 33 since the brackets 34terminate short of the upper margin of plate 33. Air flowing upwardlyalong the outer side of the brackets 34, upon reaching the upper ends ofthe brackets, then is drawn downwardly into the secondary chamberdisposed centrally between the plates 33 and 36 and bounded by the innersides of the brackets. The smoke, odor-bearing vapors and unburnedparticle issuing from the ignited charge, after entering the centralarea between the plates (referred to as the secondary chamber), thushave mixed therewith air flowing inwardly over the upper ends of thebrackets 34.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2. and 6, the flame carrier tunnelmember will be described. The tunnnel member comprises an invertedV-shaped channel 33 formed of cast iron, the major portion of the lowerface of channel 38 being closed by means of a stainless steel plate 39.A header 41 of refractory material receives one end of the flame carriertube formed by the members 38 and 39. A burner tube 42 (FIG. 2.)introduces gas into the end of the carrier tube where it is aerated andignited. The aerating and ignition means together with the requiredsafety shutdown control structure are not shown in detail herein sincethey are conventional and form no part of the present invention. Asafety shutdown and control valve structure indicated generally at 43 inFIG. 2 serves to control the flow of gas in conventional fashion throughthe burner tube 42.

The opposite end of the flame carrier tube extends into atriangularly-shaped aperture 44 (FIG. 4) in the base of plate 33. Thelower portion of the plate 36 also has a registering triangular aperture46. As shown in FIG. 2, the flame is propagated along the carrier tube,passes centrally across the space between the plates 33 and 36 andenters the final combustion chamber 47 which is defined by the spacebetween the plate 36 and the refractory side wall 11. The portion of therefractory Wall 11 which forms the rear wall of the chamber 47 may bevertically ribbed as indicated at 11a. It will be noted that the ribbedportion of the refractory wall, at its lower end, is subject to directflame impingement. This refractory wall portion is thus raised toincandescent tempera ture a relatively short time after ignition of theburner tube. The incinerator structure is completed by an ash pan 48which is supported on a plate 18. A fitting 49 extending rearwardly fromthe upper portion of the combustion chamber 47 accommodates aconventional barometric check damper 51 which limits the draft throughthe chamber 47.

In operation, with the chamber 32 charged with refuse, as indicated at52. in FIG. 2, and with the gas burner ignited, the side walls 38 of thecarrier tube will be raised to the ignition temperature of the charge.The thickness of the side walls of the carrier tube, however, is suchthat a substantial time prior to their attaining the ignitiontemperature of the refuse the refractory wall forming the rear face ofthe final chamber 47 will be heated to incandescence. The smoke, odorbearing vapors and unburned particles move upwardly from the charge andare drawn through the grill 37 and downwardly through the secondarychamber bounded front and back by the plates 33 and 36 and at the sidesby the inner faces of the brackets 34. As this material passes throughthe secondary chamber, air from the tubes 29 is drawn inwardly acrossthe upper margins of the brackets and mixed with the smoke and vapors.The air laden mixture then intersects the flame and is drawn through theaperture 46 in plate 36 subsequently passing upwardly through the finalchamber to the flue. The injection of air into the material leaving theignited refuse, such injection occurring in the secondary chamber,insures com plete combustion of the material as it passes through theflame and enters and moves upwardly through the final chamber.Impingement on and passage along the in candescent rear wall of thefinal chamber further aids in securing complete combustion of thematerial.

It should be further noted that all of the products of combustion enterthe upper area of the final chamber 47 only after passing through theflame distributed across the lower portion thereof. In passing throughthe flame and along the incandescent rear wall of chamber 47odor-bearing vapors, smoke and carbon particles are su' stantiallycompletely consumed so that the smoke content of the gases passing tothe flue 16 are at a minimum. The refuse charge is ignited as a resultof the flame carrier tube being heated to the ignition temperature ofthe refuse rather than introducing flame directly to the refuse charge,this providing a delayed ignition of the charge which permits therefractory wall of the final chamber 47 to attain incandescence prior tothe passage of smoke laden gases t-herethrough.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail inthe drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered asillustrative in character and not restrictive, as modifications mayreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within thebroad scope of the invention, reference being bad to the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:

I. In an incinerator of the type having a refractory side wall defininga charge receiving primary combustion chamber and a flue for disposingof combustion gases, a flame carrier tube of generally triangularcross-section mounted to extend transversely through the primarycombustion chamber adjacent its base, means for introducing flame intoone end of said carrier tube, the opposite end of said carrier tubebeing open to permit the exit of flame therefrom, said carrier tubebeing thereby heated sufficiently to ignite the charge in saidcombustion chamber, a first plate extending across said primarycombustion chamber but terminating short of the upper margin thereof, asecond plate disposed in spaced parallel relation to said first placeand extending to the upper margin of said primary combustion chamber,elements spaced inwardly from the side margins of said first plate andspanning the space between said plates, said elements terminating shortof the upper margin of said first plate, said plates and elementsdefining a generally vertical secondary chamber, means for introducingair into the space outboard of said elements, a wire grid extendingbetween the upper margin of said plates, the open end of said flamecarrier tube communicating with the space between said plates, anaperture at the base of said second plate aligned with the open end ofsaid flame carrier tube, said second plate being spaced from saidrefractory side wall to define therebetween a generally verticallyextending final combustion chamber communicating with said flue, theflame propagated through said carrier tube impinging on said refractorywall to raise it to incandescent temperature, whereby products ofcombustion are drawn by convection across said grid and into saidsecondary chamber to be mixed with air moving across the upper marginsof said elements, the aerated products of combustion moving downwardlythrough said secondary chamber to enter said final combustion chamberthrough said second plate aperture and flow upwardly through said finalcombustion chamber into said flue, the intersection of the flame and theaerated products of combustion at said second plate aperture and theirmovement along the incandescent refractory wall serving to consumesmoke, odor-bearing vapors and particles entrained in the products ofcombustion.

2. In an incinerator of the type having a refractory side wall defininga charge receiving primary combustion chamber and a flue for disposingof combustion gases, an Open-ended flame carrier tube mounted to extendtransversely through the primary combustion chamber, means forintroducing flame into one end of said carrier tube, said carrier tubebeing thereby heated sufliciently to ignite the charge in saidcombustion chamber, a first plate extending across said primarycombustion chamber but terminating short of the upper margin thereof, asecond plate disposed in spaced parallel relation to said first plateand extending to the upper margin of said primary combustion chamber,elements spaced inwardly from the side margins of said first plate andspanning the space between said plates, said elements, terminating shortof theupper margin of said first plate, said plates and elementsdefining a generally vertical secondary chamber, means for introducingair into the space outboard of said elements, the flame exit end of saidflame carrier tube communicating with the space between said plates, anaperture at the base of said second plate aligned with said flamecarrier tube, said second plate being spaced from said refractory sidewall to define therebetween a final combustion chamber communicatingwith said flue, the flame propagated through said carrier tube impingingon said refractory Wall to raise it to incandescent temperature, wherebyproducts of combustion are drawn by convection into said secondarychamber to be mixed with air moving across the upper margins of saidelements, the aerated products of combustion moving through saidsecondary chamber to enter said final combustion chamber through saidsecond plate aperture and flow through said final combustion chamberinto said flue, the intersection of the flame and the aerated productsof combustion at said second plate aperture and their movement along theincandescent refractory wall serving to consume smoke, odor-bearingVapors and particles entrained in the products of combustion.

3. In an incinerator of the type having a charge re-.

ceiving primary combustion chamber and a flue for disposing ofcombustion gases, a flame carrier tube mounted to extend through theprimary combustion chamber, means for introducing flame into one end ofsaid carrier tube, the opposite end of said carrier tube being open topermit the exit of flame therefrom, said carrier tube being therebyheated sufficiently to ignite the charge in said combustion chamber, afirst plate extending across said primary combustion chamber butterminating short of the upper margin thereof, a second plate disposedin spaced parallel relation to said first plate and extending to theupper margin of said primary combustion chamber, elements spacedinwardly from the side margins of said first plate and spanning thespace between said plates, said elements terminating short of the uppermargin of said first plate, said plates and elements defining agenerally vertical secondary chamber, means for introducing air into thespace outboard of said elements, the open end of said flame carrier tubecommunicating with the space between said plates, an aperture at thebase of said second plate aligned with the open end of said flamecarrier tube, means cooperating with said second plate to define agenerally vertically extending final combustion chamber communicatingwith said flue, whereby products of combustion are drawn by convectionacross the upper margin of said first plate and into said secondarychamber to be mixed with moving across the upper margins of saidelements, the aerated products of combustion moving through saidsecondary chamber to enter said final combustion chamber through saidsecond plate aperture and flow upwardly through said final combustionchamber into said flue, the intersection of the flame and the aeratedproducts of combustion at said second plate aperture and their movementthrough said final combustion chamber serving to consume smoke,odor-bearing vapors and particles entrained in the products ofcombustion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,137,424 Ricketts Apr. 27, 1915 2,545,625 McKinley Mar. 20, 19512,845,882 Brat-ton Aug. 5, 1958 2,847,951 Triggs Aug. 19, 1958 2,863,406Anderson et a1 Dec. 9, 1958 2,929,342 Young Mar. 22, 1960

